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Dave Miller – Tech Enthusiast & Security Expert – December 12th, 2021
The long-awaited showdown between the Acer Nitro 5 and the Asus TUF Gaming F17 is finally here. Both have powerful RTX 30-series GPUs and eye-catching aesthetics, but which one is worth the investment? I’ve got the answer for you. When reviewing these two machines, my focus was on their top-end configurations—the Nitro 5 with a R9 5000-series processor and the TUF Gaming F17 with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.
If you only care about one aspect of your gaming system, the Nitro 5 may appear to be the winner in this epic battle. The Nitro 5 might be your cup of tea if you’re looking for visuals that push the boundaries and performance that blows the competition away.
Acer TUF Gaming F17 | Acer Nitro 5 | |
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
Display | 15.6 in | 17.3 in |
Processor | 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 CPU | 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor |
Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop GPU |
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 FX706HE is an appealing gaming laptop with a low price and a huge, welcoming 17-inch display. From its sleek, gamer-focused design to its reasonable price tag of just $999, the Asus TUF Gaming F17 stands as a quality machine for casual gamers searching for a dedicated gaming laptop.
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 focuses heavily on screen quality with an IPS panel capable of achieving a refresh rate of 240 Hz but doesn’t always contain the punch necessary to make full use of that output. On the Asus TUF Gaming F17, most games operate optimally at mid-to-low level video settings, but gamers will be hard pressed to play AAA titles at maximum video settings.
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 acts more like a gaming desktop than a laptop as the battery life is fairly short, lasting just under two hours, and the 17-inch screen is a bit hard to fit inside a tiny bag. While it’s not perfect for gamers on the go, it’s still reasonably portable with a small weight of just 5.73lbs.
The first thing I noticed about the TUF Gaming F17 was how huge it is—15.71-inches across. A full-sized keyboard and a 17.3-inch monitor can be accommodated in that width of space. For those concerned about portability, it isn’t too thick at.99-inches tall when it is closed. The top to bottom measurement is 10.59 inches.
Instead of metal, the TUF Gaming F17 chassis is mostly made of plastic components. In some areas, there is a rough texture with lines that makes it appear more deliberate and professional. Moreover, the machine’s low weight of 5.73 lbs (2.6 kg) makes it perfect for its diminutive size.
If you’re looking for an all-around gaming machine, the TUF Gaming F17 falls somewhere in the middle. Powered by an Intel Core i5-11260H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which is practically the entry-level gaming laptop GPU, it isn’t the king of the jungle.
Compared to the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE and MSI Pulse GL66, both of which have RTX 3060 GPUs, the TUF Gaming F17 had a lower average performance (measured in frames per second). We tested it against the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE and MSI Pulse GL66 in our Red Red Redemption 2 benchmark (1920 x 1080, medium) and it clocked in at 46 fps.
The TUF Gaming F17 variant we tested had an Intel Core i5-11260H processor, 8GB of RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD, and an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. The TUF Gaming F17 scored 1,354 on Geekbench 5’s single-core test and 5,045 on the multi-core test. The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (Intel Core i7-11375H) had a score of 1,483 and a score of 5,234, which is close to this laptop’s performance. A multi-core score of 6,949 and a single-core rating of 1,579 put the MSI Pulse GL66 (Intel Core i7-11800H) ahead of the competition.
The TUF Gaming F17 has a 17.3-inch screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 1920 x 1080 resolution, making it ideal for gaming. Images are stunning from the front. Each and every medium shines. But if you take a picture of the screen from the wrong angle, the vivid hues will quickly fade into earthy tones.
While the keyboard appears to be sleek and snappy, it also has a low profile design that slowed down gameplay a somewhat. According to 10 Fast Fingers, I type at an average of 95 words per minute (WPM) using a Razer Black Widow mechanical keyboard. This was reduced to 81 WPM on the TUF Gaming F17
A pair of built-in speakers is included in the TUF Gaming F17. Using DTS:X Ultra, they provide a virtual 7.1-channel surround sound system. The DTS:X Ultra application, which comes preinstalled, has eight preset settings that can be used for various purposes, including as gaming, movies, and music. Separate speakers or a headset are a must if you care about sound quality. But for built-in speakers, this is a solid performance. In spite of the fact that it doesn’t get extremely loud, the treble is clear and the bass has an enjoyable thud to it.
You only need a small amount of room and a Phillips head screwdriver to open the laptop. Additional components can be added to the TUF Gaming F17, while certain other components can be removed. Inside, you’ll find two slots for RAM – our review machine had an 8GB module installed in one of them. Behind a thin piece of shielding, these slots can hold up to 64GB of storage. A second PCIe SSD can be installed in an extra slot (though this may be filled depending on your configuration). A look at Asus TUF Gaming F17’s battery capacity.
In order to gain a sense of the heat distribution at the end of the Metro Exodus benchmark test, we took temperature readings in several locations. Temperatures rose to 100 degrees Fahrenheit between the G and H keys, but the touchpad remained at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit on the underbelly during the test.
The webcam on the TUF Gaming F17 is 720p and is located in the center of the lid at the very top. Even if you only use it for the most basic of purposes, such as conference calls, you may want to upgrade to one of the best external webcams instead.
On the Asus TUF Gaming F17, there are several pre-installed Asus applications. RGB lighting, audio settings and more are all controlled by Armory Crate. An account is required but is not required for the app to function. Additionally, there is MyAsus, which includes diagnostic tools to assist in the resolution of common problems, such as network connectivity. Additional links to Armory Crate are provided for more complex possibilities.
Tested with an Intel Core i5-11260H processor, Nvidia GeForce 3050 Ti graphics card and an M.2 NVMe SSD, we found the TUF Gaming F17 to be one of the best gaming laptops on the market. As of this writing, the price of this model is $999.99. An Intel Core i7-11800H processor and 16GB of RAM may be purchased for $1,299.99. It costs $1,499.99 to upgrade to an RTX 3060 and a 1TB SSD, but you’re now out of budget laptop range.
However, the Asus TUF Gaming F17’s angular design may be a little cheesy, but it still looks good. The Asus TUF Gaming F17’s screen is its most impressive feature. Even in a dimly-lit room, the panel’s pleasant brightness is easy on the eyes, making it ideal for watching movies or playing games
One of many Ryzen 7 5800H/RTX 3070 combos we’ve seen recently is the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R7S0. Gaming laptop manufacturers have long relied on this combination, much like a good cheese and wine pairing. Powered by AMD’s 5000 series CPU and Nvidia RTX 3070 (Max Q), the Nitro 5 is no different in showcasing all that we adore about the RTX 3070 (Max Q).
The addition of a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD in every professional gaming laptop these days should be required, as the advantages of those drives cannot be overstated. The sight of gaming laptops with only 512GB SSDs is heartbreaking. With only a few huge titles, you’ll find yourself looking for a price on a larger SSD in a couple of weeks. Additionally, the Nitro 5 offers a 2.5-inch disk bay in case you want to use an SSD/HDD combo.
If you want to avoid the ‘gamer’ appearance of Acer’s premium Predator line, the Nitro 5’s design is a no-frills option. It’s hard to tell this laptop apart from any other plain old laptop, even with the crimson accent covering the back vent. At least the Predators are able to retain some of their style on a chassis that is nearly identical to the Nitro 5.
In terms of price, the Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best gaming laptops on the market. Starting at $749, you get the most basic version of the identical model we tested. The exact same setup is available in the UK, but it will set you back roughly £335 more than the American version.
Australians can’t get their hands on this specification. There is a $1,999 option that contains the Intel Core i7-8750H processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of RAM, 16GB of RAM, 1TB HDD and a 128GB SSD, according to Acer’s website
When it comes to aesthetics, the Acer Nitro 5 is a disappointment. Though not perfect, it does have certain positive aspects that we may enjoy.
Red accents on the keyboard, backlight, trackpad and top rear bar give the laptop a more subdued gamer vibe. There are a lot of connectors, and the display hinges seem solid and secure. Additionally, the laptop includes a user-friendly cooling system and a comfy keyboard (more on those two topics later.)
The Acer Nitro 5’s keyboard is a big selling point. It doesn’t have anything particularly unique about it. Isn’t it obvious that the WASD keys are embossed in red paint because they’ve been painted red in order to make it easier for players to see them in the dark?
Generally speaking, this keyboard is nothing special. Nonetheless, we find it both pleasant and trustworthy. No lags, missing buttons, or unintentional presses have been encountered when using it. All that matters is whether you’re typing or playing a video game.
Now, we’ve uncovered a huge gripe. For FPS, RPG, and action games, laptop trackpads are often considered undesirable. However, the trackpad on this laptop is so poor that you won’t even want to use it for everyday computing chores. Using a trackpad that has a lot of travel and is extremely stiff might cause early finger fatigue, as it requires a great deal of force to register. There are a lot of missed presses with buttons 1 and 2, which are positioned in the front left and right sections of the trackpad, respectively. A day after trying it out, we ditched it in favor of a conventional mouse.
Two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, a Killer E2600 Ethernet connector, an HDMI 2.1 video output, and a headset jack are all that the Nitro 5 has in terms of ports. Thunderbolt 4 is not supported by the USB-C connector on this AMD laptop (or 3).
The plug for the power adaptor is located at the rear. After nearly exhausting my battery, I realized that it must click into place in order to work. A MediaTek MT7921 network card powers this Acer’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 capabilities. The Nitro 5 lacks infrared webcam support for Windows Hello face recognition, as do other gaming laptops. The soft-focus video produced by the 720p webcam mounted above the display is standard fare for laptops of this price range.
The Nitro 5’s strength lies in its upgradeability. Underneath the bottom panel, you’ll find a 2.5-inch drive bay and two M.2 slots (one of which is already occupied by the 1TB solid-state drive). Both of my system’s SO-DIMM slots are currently filled with DDR4-3200 modules.
My Nitro 5’s WQHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) screen is its best asset. Although it has 50% more pixels than 1080p (full HD), it’s not so high-resolution that the GeForce RTX 3070 can’t generate smooth frame rates for a crisper picture, less scrolling, and more room to dock apps side by side (as it would be at 4K or UHD).
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Dave Miller is an IT Consultant for Online Cloud Security and has over 7 years of experience in the Information Technology space. He also specializes in repairing laptops & computers. In his spare time, he loves to talk about new technologies and hosts monthly IT and Cyber Security meetings in the Houston area.
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Online Cloud Security is here to recommend you the most secure devices, from laptops to smartphones, we only want to provide you with products that we have tested and used ourselves for online security. Every product that we recommend is heavily inspected and tested for security against hackers, viruses, malware, and any other intruders that may want to steal your information.
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